While many Death Metal bands drop albums and EPs, and then go on an infinitely long hiatus, Horde Casket is one of the most consistent bands. Being active for almost 14 years, these Oklahoma based guys are back with a brand new EP “Plague Supremacy”.
The intro track “Cast Into the Hellish Realm of Horror” begins with electronic synth and keyboard on top, bleeding into the title track “Plague Supremacy”. Bone crushing riffs with blast-beats on top, this track is the perfect and powerful opener for the record. A bit sludgy along halfway, it is followed by a melodious solo, which is a bit unexpected for a brutal death metal record for me. I just can’t ignore the uncanny resemblance of “Tyranny of Blood’s intro riff to Mudvayne’s Dig (I can’t unhear it at this point!....Sorry, No more jokes !!) The track is groovy at its core, shifting into the slam domain at the end. “Raining Chunks” is such a powerful track, I can only describe it as being the most brutal take on any brutal death metal song.The interlude track “Drowning in the Depths of Demented Illusion” (such a cool tongue-twister) creates a dark and horror vibe its with keyboard notes and chords, leading us into the second-half of the EP. “Lake of Withered Remains” forms a hybrid mixture of riffs of Inveracity and Dying Fetus, with fast sections as well as keeping the sludgy-slam vibe to it. “Death upon the Desolate Sands of Demise” is another piano/keyboard based track with haunting soundscape, acts as the outro of the record.
Steve Giddens’ guitar riffs and bass shows a ranging influence, from old school death metal to slam. Add drums by Marco Pitruzzella on top - you have the perfect recipe for brutal death metal. Greg Duke’s vocals sound absolutely demonic in the record. A lot of double bass, blast beats along with choppy trem-picking riffs gives this record the signature sound of Horde Casket. With their recent album “Melting Together” being just two years old, this new record keeps the fast, ferocious nature but improves upon a much cleaner and heavier sound.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Website: Horde Casket
Genre: Brutal Death Metal
FFO: Inveracity, Dying Fetus, Prostitute Disfigrement, Gorgasm, Anal Stabwound
Worldwide Release: January 12th, 2022.
